Author: coldev

In 2017 I had a young woman in her early 20’s come to see me. She had recently been diagnosed with endometriosis, her menstrual cycle was heavy and very irregular, it was also very painful. She had not had children and suffered a lot of anxiety around food and the fact that her fertility may be affected.

During her initial consultation it became apparent that she was below a healthy weight for her height and age, and that due to her anxiety her diet was very restricted as she avoided any food that she had been told or read that was “bad” food.

We discussed the role that weight plays in out hormonal cycle and also the effect hormones have on our reproductive system. Over several sessions we addressed her anxiety and gradually added more foods into her diet with the aim being for her to eat a balanced low oestrogenic diet. We also used a herbal formula to help balance her hormones and regulate her cycle. Her pain was predominantly managed with herbs, however she used over the counter medication occasionally.

Over several months as her weight improved and with the help of herbs and supplements her menstrual cycle became more regular, the bleeding lessened, and the level of pain reduced significantly reducing her dependence on over the counter medication. This led to a further reduction in the levels of her anxiety which led to an overall improvement in her quality of life. During this time she developed an enjoyment of new and tasty foods that helped her to maintain her weight and keep her cycle regular, she lived with renewed hope that when she was ready her chances of conceiving were much improved.

Recently a women in her late 50’s came to see me. She had been struggling with her weight most of her life. She had advanced osteoarthiritis in her knee and was awaiting knee reconstruction surgery. She had seen the hospital a year before hand and had been told that she needed to reduce her weight by a substantial amount before she would qualify for the surgery, however once she achieved that weight loss her General Practitioner could notify the hospital and surgery would be booked in.

Her doctor had prescribed her a weight loss medication 12 months before she came to see me, however in that time she had only succeeded in losing approximately 8KG. She was in pain, frustrated and feeling quite down. She shared the fact that her income was limited and that she really didn’t like cooking.

We discussed several options however it was decided that she would follow an intensive short-term program for 3 months with regular reviews, during that time we also worked on the causes of her eating patterns and what she could do to overcome her challenges. We worked closely together to keep her on track so that she could have her life changing surgery.

At the end of the 12 weeks she had lost the required amount of weight and surgery was booked in, in addition her blood pressure which had been a little higher than recommended came back to normal. She is now looking forward to a new start and is working on bringing her weight down to a more healthy level and being able to improve her activity levels and play with her dog and grandchildren.

In 2016 I had a gentleman who was in his mid 50’s come to see me for advice about improving his health. He was overweight, and measurements confirmed that he was carrying most of his excess weight in the abdomen. In addition, his blood pressure was elevated and he felt tired all of the time. He also had a blistered rash that would come up on his feet that he felt was related to certain foods.

During his initial consultation we discussed his current diet which consisted of a large amount of refined carbohydrates such as white bread and biscuits, he also enjoyed large portions of fatty meats and takeaways, and only consumed a limited amount of vegetables. He didn’t consume coffee, alcohol or chicken as he felt these were contributing to the rash on his feet.

Over a period of several months we gradually made changes to his diet and lifestyle. We modified his diet to reduce the amount of refined and fatty foods that he was consuming and gradually increased the wholefoods in his diet. To help him overcome his cravings for refined foods and the much-loved fatty meats we replaced these with tasty simple to prepare versions of his favorite foods that were both yummy and nutritious. We also looked at reducing his stress levels and incorporating light exercise into his weekly routine.

During this time his weight gradually reduced, and his waist measurements reduced, because of the changes his blood pressure improved and there was a big improvement in his sleep quality which led to a reduction in his levels of fatigue and an increase in his energy levels. During this time, we also identified the cause of the rash on his feet and were successful in eliminating it